The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1887-06-30
CHEAP FOOD FOR HOGS.
The Most Economical Way of Keeping
Pigs During the Summer.

Pigs During the Summer.
The average Western hog is half
starved during the first half of its ex-
jstence and stuffed during the remain
ing half An entire litter of pigs are
allowed to suckle their dam as long rs
she gives any milk. The supply grad
ually diminishes as the creatures in
crease in size and require more food.
1t certainly happens that the stronger
drive or push away the weaker ones,
and that they remain of diminished
size all their lives. After pigs are
weaned the larger ones seek to monOp-
olize the feeding-trough, and are fire.
quently successful in doing so. Till
corn is ready to harvest hogs on most
farms find it difficult to get enough to
eat, and after the corn is put in crib
farmers find fault with their hogs be-
cause they dc not eat enough. The
gain of most hogs in summer is very
small. At the time when milch cows
are giving twenty quarts of milk per
day, colts and sheep are growing rapid
ly, and young cattle are showing a
steady gain of six pounds per week.
pigs on many farms are barely 'hOld-
ing their own" 1t is the time when
they should rapidly gain in weight like
other farm animals.
In the Western States farmers put so
much reliance on corn for feeding hogs
that they often neglect to raise other
kinds of food for them. They may
know that an acre in common red or
mammoth clover will produces more
hog food than an acre in corn, and they
are certainly aware of the fact that
the animals will harvest the clover
if they are given the opportunity. But
the cost of fencing the hog pasture or
the trouble of cutting the clover pre-
vents the pigs from having the food
they want. They are accordingly kept
on a short allowance of food during the
time it is the most abundant. If corn
was not so abundant in the Western
States, and was not so generally relied
upon for making pork, it is likely that
hogs would be better supplied with food
during the growing season. In En-
land and Germany, where no corn is
produced, and in Canada, where but
little is raised, hogs gain faster during
warm weather thaS Cd>y do here, for
the reason that they are better supplied
with proper food. They grow clover,
peas, tareS, roots, potatoes, mill-stuffs
and oil-cake. That keeping hogs on
small rations during part of the
year and then stuffing them with
dry corn produces injurious effects
OH them. is generally admitted. Still,
very little is done by most farmers to
avoid the evils complained of. Our
hogs receive very little attention during
the summer. chiefly because their own
ers are two busily engaged in raising
corn to feed to them after cold weather
sets in. In the meantime the hogs are
getting up good appetite by a rigid
course of fasting. and are preparing to
lay on fat and contract the cholera.
Thecheapest way to keep hogs during
the summer is to provide pastures
seeded to clover, orchard and blue
grass. The hog by nature is grazing
animal. and viii not only sustain life,
but gain in weight, if it has an oppor-
tunity to eat suitable forage crops. If
farmer is not so situated that he can
inclose and seed land for pasturing his
hogs, he can, at least, fence in large
yard and keep it supplied with food
shat costs less than corn and is better
for the animals that eat it. Hogs will
dc well on green, tender grass and
clover cut and thrown into their yards.
Pea vines, fodder corn, pumpkins and
squashes will also be readily eaten.
Flax-seed, if ground or cooked, forms
valuable food to be eaten in connection
with green fodder. An occasional feed
of corn is good, but very little will be
required to keep hogs in a growing con-
dition if they are well supplied with
the cheaper articles referred to. Ga
eago Times